Valentine's Day: Part Trois
by TCGeek
Summary: Two years into marriage, Derek and Angie decide to break the streak of exciting Valentine's Day celebrations and attempt to have as boring of a day as they can manage, while Tyler tries to avoid being murdered by Victor. Series continuation: Oneshot, T for language.


**Hi everyone!  
**

**I've been bitten by the writing bug again, so here I am with an early Valentine's Day present for everyone.**

**This is a continuation of the Valentine's Day series I've been doing - it can stand alone, but if you want to fully understand some of the references go back in my stories and read the first two prior to this one. It's not necessary, though.**

**I haven't written a story in awhile where Tyler is an idiot and antagonizing Victor, so that is the premise here with a heap of Derek and Angie fluff mixed in.**

**This takes place just over two years after the last story, and it's almost 8,000 words (I still haven't lost it!)**

**It's stupid and silly, but I hope you like it. The rating is T for language because... well, Victor.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaappy Valentine's Day!"

Derek Stiles flinched and covered his left ear with his hand, his right gripping onto his coffee mug as he tried not to spill the hot beverage all over himself.

Tyler Chase had made an exuberant entrance into Caduceus's break room, large box in his hands as he yelled his greeting to the few occupants in the room. The sudden break in peace and quiet caused Derek to nearly jump from his chair, struggling to keep his scrubs stain-free as the day had just begun.

"Dammit! What the hell?! What's the matter with you, you idiot?!"

Derek just laughed at the angry outburst from the other end of the break room, noting that he was not the only person who had been startled by Tyler's sudden entrance into the common space.

"And good morning to you, Victor!" Tyler replied with a cheery demeanor, doing what he always did and simply laughing off Victor's angry insults. "Normally, I would bother thinking of a comeback, but I'm just too excited for this wonderful day of love!"

The researcher glared back at his self-proclaimed archnemesis, a large vein suddenly very visible in the center of his forehead. "Yeah, well I would LOVE if you would shut it..." Victor muttered, turning his gaze back to the magazine he had been reading.

It had been a quiet morning thus far, one that had just barely started for the Caduceus staff. Derek was seated at one of the tables in the room, drinking his coffee as fast as his now-scorched tongue would allow to attempt to wake up. Victor was in the far corner of the room, Dr. Clarks and Sidney were at the table next to him, and Angie had gone to the bathroom, missing Tyler's grand entrance.

"Is nobody even a little curious as to what's in this box?" Tyler asked, glancing around the room as everyone seemingly ignored him.

"No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell us anyway" Sidney replied, eyes never leaving the newspaper in front of him as he took a sip of his own coffee.

"See, this is why I miss Leslie! You guys are so SO lame!"

A sad expression flashed across Tyler's face as he thought of his extremely pregnant wife at home on maternity leave, and the fact that he felt very alone and outnumbered without her by his side every day. The defeat only lasted a fleeting moment before he was smiling again, however, not the type to stay sad very long. He instead lifted up his left leg and reached it behind himself, kicking the door to the Caduceus break room closed with impressive force…

…just as Angie was walking back through.

Derek flinched at his wife's shriek, abandoning his coffee and jumping to his feet to assist her. Tyler cringed and turned around to face the door, box still in his hands as he cowered and waited for the storm to descend upon him.

"Sorry Angie!" he yelled to her, door only open a crack as Derek was holding it open with his foot. He had disappeared behind the door with her for a moment, stepping back inside and opening the door to allow her through after he made sure she was okay.

The blonde nurse glared at Tyler from the doorway, holding her left forearm across her chest with her right hand and attempting to rub the sting out of it as best as she could.

"Why? Just… why, Tyler?" was her frustrated response to his assault, earning a sympathetic stare from her husband's best friend.

"That seems to be a question everyone asks when Tyler is near…" Victor muttered, trailing off as the aforementioned doctor turned his head to shoot the researcher a death glare.

"You know, one more outburst and I'm taking away your Valentine's Day gift!" Tyler threatened, transforming Victor's expression into that of pure fear.

"Oh no, Tyler… please, PLEASE don't take away my Valentine's Day gift – I'll do anything!"

Victor dropped his melodramatic over-acting quickly, face returning to its normal grumpy state as Tyler glared at him again, before turning his attention back to Angie.

"I'm really sorry, Angie… I promise I didn't mean to" he said, finally setting the box down on the table nearest to him. Her anger had already dissipated, laughter taking its place as she chuckled at Victor's sarcastic response.

"It's alright, Tyler." She responded, now seated next to her husband with a cup of tea in front of her. "So… do we get to see what you got Victor, or has he lost his gift privileges?"

Derek and Dr. Clarks chuckled audibly, Sidney smiling from behind his coffee cup as he took another sip.

"Oh, everyone will get their gifts at some point…" he replied, instantly receiving everyone's undivided attention.

"Everyone…?" Dr. Clarks asked quietly, trading a worried glance with Derek from across the room.

Tyler just chuckled in response, hoisting the box back into his arms again as he backed toward the door to exit.

"I was going to give you them all right now, but seeing the looks on your faces makes this way too fun to not stretch out a little. So, I'll see you later… have a good daaaaay!" he finished in a sing-song voice, laughing as he removed himself from the room.

Silence settled into the conference room in his absence. Derek and Angie traded a glance, the surgeon smiling at his wife's horrified expression as he finished the last of the coffee in his mug. Dr. Clarks simply sighed, and Sidney looked over at Victor, who was staring back at him with a pleading expression.

"Can I just… can I just go home, like, now? Please?" he asked, Sidney chuckling back at him.

"Not on your life – this one is a group effort, Dr. Niguel. If we all have to, so do you."

As Victor grumbled profanities under his breath, Derek and Angie laughed to one another, rising to their feet and moving toward the exit themselves.

"Alright, if this has to happen to us all, can we all at least agree to share with each other what our gifts were? I'm dying of curiosity already…" Derek announced with a laugh, the room giving him a collective nod as he and Angie started on the way back to their office.

Smiling still, Derek slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders and planted a small kiss on the side of her head. She sent a sweet smile back his way, her arm winding around his lower back as they walked together.

"To be honest, I'm glad we decided not to do gifts this year." Derek started, pulling her in closer as they both rounded a corner and began waiting for an elevator. "Takes the pressure off, you know?"

Angie nodded, a short burst of laughter escaping her. "Yeah, I guess things did get pretty out of hand last year…"

She trailed off as Derek began chuckling with her – the memory of their first Valentine's Day as a married couple would be hard to ever forget. The previous year they had gotten engaged, and though Angie had put a lot of time and energy into providing Derek with some old childhood videos, she had still felt as though he had bested her.

So, being that it was Angie in question, it immediately became a fierce competition.

All in all, it had been a wonderful night; but both had gone so over the top for one another that they collectively agreed to not only forego future Valentine's Day gifts, but to also bar each other from buying birthday presents that year for the other to make up the money they had both blown.

Now into their second year of marriage, both had given up on constantly trying to impress one another, content instead in just being together. Holidays were hard to celebrate, as every day was special enough on its own.

"Are you curious as to what he got you?" Angie finally asked, following Derek into their office as she closed the door behind them.

"Nah." Derek replied. "It's Tyler – so, you know it'll be inappropriate. I've come to find that the shock value he used to have is wearing off… at least for me."

"Well, that must be nice for you." Angie said, her other half chuckling. "I'm still horrified by most things he does, but I want to kill him less for them as time goes on, I suppose."

"Aah, yeah…" Derek started, plopping into his desk chair with a smile and a nod, pointer finger wagging at his wife. "You see, that's how it starts – you become less angry, one day you find yourself laughing, and then before you know it, you're joining him in his stupid pranks."

"Over my dead body." Angie replied with a shudder. "Although, I am glad to see you're not worried. I'm not as concerned about our gifts – but I AM afraid of what Victor will do to him..."

And just as the thought had come out of her mouth, they both learned that they would be quickly finding out the answer.

"_WHAT IN THE FUCKING HELL?! HAVE YOU REACHED A NEW LEVEL OF BEING RETARDED AS FUCK, TYLER CHASE?!"_

"Game on!" Derek chirped, leaning back in his chair and waiting for the inevitable show.

Angie poked her head out into the hallway, seeing neither Tyler nor Victor.

"I can hear him, but I can't see him. That means he must be yelling very loud… oh!"

Angie's train of thought was ended as Tyler came bounding around the corner and into their office, fear in his eyes.

"Shit, guys – you've gotta hide me!" he exclaimed in a whisper, frantically looking for a place to conceal himself.

"Oh no, we're not harboring you – your ass is a fugitive now, and as far as I'm concerned, Victor's foot is the police!"

Derek's comment made his wife crack up and his best friend scowl back at him, visibly unamused.

"What did you do to him?" Angie asked, cut off once more as Victor appeared in their doorway, face as purple as she had ever seen it. His arms hung down at his sides and they had a visible shake to them, almost as though his anger was about to explode him into fiery chunks if he did not manage to get it under control. Looking at him, she noticed crumpled papers in his right hand, squeezing them as though they were Tyler's trachea.

"Wuh-oh…" Derek muttered, motioning to Angie who walked over to his desk and plopped in his lap.

"Dude." Tyler said, both hands out in front of him to try to stop Victor from advancing his way. "I know you're mad now, but trust me – it's a good idea!"

Victor tried to start to yell at him, unsuccessful as he was too mad to form any words, just sputtering as his hand with the papers waved wildly around. He came up with nothing and instead lunged forward toward Tyler, the blonde taking a circle around Derek and Angie's coffee table with the researcher hot on his heels.

"WHOA, man, calm down!" Tyler exclaimed, now standing back where they started, his hands out in front of him again to gain some time.

"Calm down?! You want me to CALM DOWN?! This is BY FAR the DUMBEST, most IDIOTIC idea you've EVER had, and that's saying a LOT because you KNOW how stupid I think you are!" he yelled, waving a finger back at Tyler.

"Should we break it up?" Angie whispered to Derek, her husband shaking his head.

"Nope, not yet – let's watch it play out a little more. At this rate with how loud he's yelling, he'll either have a stroke or Sidney will hear him five floors up and come solve the problem for us." He whispered back.

Angie giggled.

"Did you ever think that maybe I'm doing you a favor? That maybe this is a good idea?" Tyler asked cautiously, watching Victor's eyes flash fire as he brought the papers up in front of him to most likely prove why that was in fact, untrue.

"Hmm, let's examine the facts – shall we, Dr. Chase?!"

Victor worked to uncrinkle the papers he had strangled, clearing his throat loudly as he began to read aloud.

"So, the first problem with this 'wonderful gift' you've given me lies in the fact that you signed me up for a FUCKING INTERNET DATING WEBSITE."

No sooner did the words leave his mouth than Angie and Derek began roaring with laughter in the corner, tears almost instantly pooling in their eyes as they thrashed around, holding onto one another for dear life.

Victor's attention snapped to the two of them angrily. "Shut UP Stiles's, or you'll be included in my wrath!"

The couple began to try to settle down but neither could, laughter breaking through their attempts for silence as they worked to straighten themselves out.

"We're – haha – uh, we're – ha – sorry, please, continue." Derek said, covering his mouth with his left hand, Angie burying her face in his shoulder for the time being.

Victor turned his attention back to Tyler, who chuckled once at their reaction but then squelched it completely, afraid to do anything to worsen the predicament in front of him.

"So, not only is there THAT…" he continued, looking down at the paper, "there's the fact that this entire profile is COMPLETE and utter BULLSHIT. Like, my interests for example! Obviously my number one interest is avoiding meeting new human beings, so, this whole thing is a miss for that reason alone…" he digressed, slapping the papers with the back of his other hand as he began to read. "But the stupid shit you came up with, on top of that?!"

He glowered back at Tyler, incredulous expression on his face as he tried to believe what he was even about to read.

"Girls who are looking for a serious commitment?"

Another round of laughter from Derek and Angie.

"Kenny motherfucking G?!"

Tyler chuckled, quickly covering his mouth with his fist.

"Going to parties!"

"Oh God, I think I'm going to throw up…" Derek gasped in between laughs, standing up and allowing Angie to sit back in his chair as he rested against the wall, nearly folded in half as he clutched his stomach.

"Laying on the beach and listening to my favorite Coldplay album?!"

The tears were falling from Angie's eyes faster than she could wipe them away, her face dark red as she struggled to breathe.

"Saving the world via my groundbreaking research!"

Victor trailed off, tossing his gaze up to Tyler for a moment.

"So, that one's at least legit..." he muttered, his eyes dropping back down to the paper again.

"Oh, I almost forgot – my favorite!"

He paused, shaking his head.

"_Puppies_. Because, quote 'they're adorable!'"

Derek dropped to the floor in a heap of laughs, knowing that it was the only time in his life he had ever heard someone speak of puppies in such a venomous and spiteful way.

"Okay, so I improvised a little!" Tyler replied, trying not to laugh as he did – a difficult feat, especially with the state of his best friend and his wife at the current moment. "It's not like I had much to go off of – you never tell me anything about you!"

"There's a REASON for that! I don't tell you a goddamn thing about me and look what shit you do to me all the time – you think I'd actually give you information you can USE?!"

Victor placed his left hand on his hip, his right now waving his online dating profile wildly through the air.

"And as if THAT wasn't enough…" he continued, voice raising in both pitch and volume, "the girl you decided to start talking to on behalf of me is a TOTAL FUCKING IDIOT!"

"I figured she'd be an easy Valentine's Day lay – that's the gift!" Tyler exclaimed, Angie with a horrified expression as Derek just laughed at her.

"Guess that shock value is still there after all, eh?" he asked, her expression lightening as she just giggled and nodded in response.

"Well it is NEVER going to happen!" Victor shouted, voice cracking at the strain he was causing it. "Even without looking at this conversation, she just LOOKS stupid! I mean, how many more times do you think she could've bleached her hair… it looks like it's about to fall off! But then you get into where you talked with her, and you see that she can't spell to save her life, and that her main interests are whatever Zumba is, "hanging out at the mall with my girlfriends", and she's an 'aspiring actress' – all ALSO riddled with spelling errors!"

He took a breath, continuing on his verbal assault rampage: "If the girl you picked for me was the last person on earth and my only chance to recreate civilization, I'd let it die with me rather than allow myself to be with someone TYLER CHASE thought was a good match for me! Even if she's perfectly nice, it wouldn't matter – what I've learned from this is she can't spell to save her life, and I automatically HATE her because YOU like her! So, no – your plan failed, as expected. If I want sex, I will go find it for myself! I will never call her, or meet her, and you will NOT tell her another thing about me – do we have an understanding here?!"

Tyler paused, sickening expression on his face as he came to a realization that may very well get him killed. As his demeanor suddenly changed, Victor eyed him suspiciously, discovering that there was most likely more to this story – and he wasn't going to like it.

"You've got about three seconds to tell me what you did or so help me God…"

Tyler just scratched the back of his head, wincing with fear as he did so.

"So, uh… you didn't, uh… read that whole thing, did you?"

Victor's eyes suddenly shot open, hands furiously flipping through the pages he had been given until he got to the last one. He had been so angry at the time that he had abandoned reading near the end of the conversation, instead focusing his attention on beating the everlasting crap out of Tyler.

But as his dark eyes skimmed the remainder of the print he shot his gaze up at the blonde with another fresh batch of fury, this time refusing to hold himself back any longer as he chased Tyler once around the coffee table and then out of Derek and Angie's office.

The couple exchanged a confused glance and paced quickly to the door, peeking out into the hallway as Victor bolted after Tyler until they rounded a corner and were out of sight.

"Hmm, wonder what happened?" Angie asked, her and Derek wincing as a shout came quickly after the question.

"_YOU TOLD HER TO MEET ME HERE TONIGHT FOR A DATE?! I AM GOING TO LITERALLY KILL YOU THIS TIME – I'VE HELD BACK LONG ENOUGH, YOU FRIGGIN MORON!"_

The pair erupted into another round of laughter, Derek pulling Angie into a hug.

"Oh, I thoroughly enjoyed that." He said, walking with her in his embrace until he sat both of them down onto their couch and propped a foot up on the table in front of him.

"Me too – I think I cried off all my makeup though. I can't remember the last time I've laughed that hard!"

Derek just chuckled, attention turning to the door as a box came flying at them. He caught it just before it hit Angie in the face, and smiled as he noticed a flash of his best friend sprinting past their office again.

"Just in case I die today – Happy Valentine's Day!" Tyler shouted, not stopping to deliver their gift as Victor was still hot on his heels.

"Uh oh." Angie said with a giggle, craning her neck upward to look at Derek before choosing to sit up completely. "Do I want to know?"

"Well, it's addressed to both of us…" Derek replied, turning it over a few times before shaking it once. "So, I guess at least we can both be offended together?"

Angie nodded. "Oh! There's a note…" she said, scowling in confusion after she read it.

"What does it say?" Derek asked, peeking over her shoulder.

"It says, 'It's been two years – catch up already, would you?'"

"Hmm." Derek mused, looking briefly at Angie who shrugged.

"Open it!" she said, turning to face him.

He obliged, tearing at the red paper with his fingers, though it didn't take long for both of them to realize what it was.

He shook his head with a laugh while Angie groaned.

"Pregnancy tests? _Really?_!"

Derek nodded slowly at his wife's rhetorical question. "Yep – didn't know that was the sort of thing you get to plan for another person, but Tyler has always played by his own rules, I guess…"

"Uh, here." He said awkwardly, handing the box to Angie, who sighed loudly and stuffed it into her work bag before smirking.

"What? You don't want to check to see if you're pregnant?" she asked, giggling.

Derek laughed back, scratching at the back of his head. "Heh, yeah – maybe later. We've had enough of an eventful morning and it's not even 9 a.m. – let's go get started on rounds, shall we?"

"Ooh, super responsible Derek? Today just keeps getting better!" she exclaimed, planting a happy kiss on his lips as the two of them retreated from their office.

-o-

"What a tiring day."

Derek nodded at his wife's statement as they both exited their car and the garage door closed behind them. The day had started off with some personal fun, however, the rest of it gave way to a surprisingly busy patient load. Now, both were just glad to be done and home, ready to relax and start their own Valentine's Day celebration.

Their house was small but quaint and immaculately kept, a space the two had become proud to call home, together. It was mostly thanks to Angie, who always forced Derek to keep it up as he she felt it was important to have pride in the things he had by "not shitting them up", as she so eloquently put it.

The two entered through the back door, hanging their jackets on the hooks next to it as they ascended a few stairs into their kitchen. Angie walked into the dining room, setting her work bag on a chair in the corner as Derek began to rifle through their mail. She paced back into the kitchen with a smile, wrapping her arms around his stomach from behind him, her head resting on his back while she squeezed.

"I'm sorry this is the least glamorous Valentine's Day we've ever had…" Angie started with a soft sigh. "I guess getting married made us old and boring, huh?"

Derek chuckled and tossed the mail onto the counter, spinning around until he faced his wife. He scooped her up into a big hug and kissed her cheek, content sigh escaping him.

"Nothing is ever boring with you, Angie. To be honest, we've been so busy lately that a night in just lazing around and being together sounds absolutely perfect to me."

Angie pulled back and puckered her lips, to which Derek happily placed a kiss on them.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, because I literally don't want another moment to pass unless I'm in a pair of sweatpants and under a blanket." She said with a smile. "It's horrid out today – couch weather, for sure."

Derek nodded, casting his glance out a nearby window. Angeles Bay was in the midst of a downpour that had lasted nearly all day, with just enough of a chill to bring a screeching halt to any plans of productivity in lieu of being huddled under layers.

"You know…" Derek began, sly smile on his face as Angie stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. "You probably should let me assist with 'Operation: Sweatpants'. I know a great 'under-blanket' activity that'll go perfectly with it."

Angie shook her head with a laugh and pointed a finger back at her husband. "Alright, that was beyond lame – but yet, also hard to pass up."

Sending one more seductive smile over her shoulder, Angie retreated back toward their bedroom with her husband hot on her heels. She giggled loudly as he scooped her up and threw her on their bed, foot kicking the door shut behind them.

Cuddling could wait.

-o-

Some time later, the Stiles's had landed exactly where they had wanted to be – curled up together in comfortable layers and snuggled under a shared blanket on their couch.

"It smells so friggin good in here" Derek said with a slight whine, "how much longer?"

"I already told you! At least another 20 minutes – quit your whining and have another chocolate instead!"

The smell of Angie's lasagna – Derek's favorite – wafted through the small house and repeatedly pulled his attention to his empty, grumbling stomach. He did oblige and leaned forward, plucking one of the chocolates his wife had bought him from the coffee table and popping it into his mouth.

"Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart." He said while swallowing the last of it. "I hope you're not bored, because I'm thoroughly enjoying our low-key celebration."

He paused, stomach rumbling again.

"Also, just so you know, I'm going to eat that entire lasagna tonight, so you better get yourself a piece quickly if you want one."

She giggled, wrapping an arm around his stomach as she snuggled into him tightly. "Happy Valentine's Day to you – and yes, I am enjoying myself. This is absolutely wonderful."

"Did you want a refill?" he asked her, pointing to her now-empty glass of water. She nodded and unwound her arm from around him, allowing him to stand and take both their glasses back to the kitchen.

"Ah, dammit!"

Angie turned around at her husband's exclamation, a loud thud following it. He stood in the middle of the dining room with a glass in each hand, looking down at Angie's work bag, which was now on the floor, contents half-spilled everywhere.

"I'm sorry, Ang, I'll get it!" he said, stopped by her as she rose to her feet and paced his way.

"Nah, it's alright – I've got it, thanks though."

She walked to the bag and bent down, beginning to gather the things that had spilled as he refilled their drinks from the kitchen.

"I'm sorry – I wasn't watching where I was going. It's almost like my head is still foggy for some reason… wonder what could've done that?"

Angie looked to her husband, a grin on his face that she couldn't help but laugh at.

"I told you, it's fine!" she exclaimed, turning her attention back downward. "You're clumsy as it is – I don't understand why I let you walk around unsupervised after we…"

She trailed off, the box of pregnancy tests now in her hand as she sighed softly and giggled under her breath.

"Oh geez, I almost forgot about those." Derek mused, now propped up in the doorway between the two rooms. "What an idiot."

"And yet, you're still friends with him!" Angie chided gently, her other half simply chuckling in response. He walked back to the living room and set down the glasses in his hands, returning to her side as he gently took the box from her hands and looked it over.

She watched him as he examined it, eyes suddenly serious as though something was on his mind. Eventually he brought his stare up to her, an uncertainty swimming in his brown eyes that she wasn't used to seeing.

"Angie," he said gently, with hesitance, "do you think he's right?"

Angie giggled gently, placing her hands on his arms.

"Honey, Tyler's never right."

He chuckled softly.

"Let me re-phrase." He admitted. "Do you think it's time we talked about starting a family?"

Angie dropped her gaze from him in order to better think, her hands slipping around his waist as she did so. He placed the box on the table next to them, his eyes never leaving her.

"I don't know – I mean, I know we talked about it a lot while we were first married, and this was around the time we decided we wanted to, given that we were stable and ready."

She looked back at him. "We're more than stable, financially and otherwise – the question is, are you ready for this?"

Derek thought for a moment before a warm, broad smile swept his face.

"I think I am, Ang. How about you?"

Seeing his reaction made her heart skip a beat, her smile growing as she stared on at his.

"I mean, it would be a little bit – I would have to go off my birth control and wait for everything to regulate itself again..."

She trailed off. "But that wouldn't take that long – and I'd have fun practicing in the meantime."

Derek laughed and placed a kiss on her lips, pulling back to lovingly stare in her eyes.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked her.

She grinned again.

"If you're expecting me to say that Tyler is getting his Valentine's Day wish, you're sorely mistaken."

Derek chuckled.

"However, in a completely unrelated turn of events… let's, start trying, Derek."

The surgeon smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around his wife, hoisting her just slightly off the ground as he gave her another passionate kiss to the lips. A moment later he set her down, smile dropping as he suddenly became serious.

"We actually may not have to try, Angie…" he said, taking her hands in his as his gaze dropped to them, and then turned back up to her with a playful gleam.

"…because I may be pregnant already."

Angie removed her hands from his and slapped his arm just as he swiped the box of pregnancy tests from the table and retreated back to the bathroom with them.

"You, as a man, are not HONESTLY going to go pee on that to check if you're pregnant, are you?!" she yelled after him, answer coming in the form of hearing the bathroom door close.

"This is a very nervewracking time for me – please, just give me some space!" he fake-cried from the other side of the door sarcastically, his wife rolling her eyes with a laugh just as the oven timer began to chime.

"Well, you better pee faster! Your lasagna is almost ready, and you ARE eating for two now…"

Angie heard Derek laugh from the bathroom as she pulled on a pair of oven mitts and slid out the metal rack with their dinner resting on it. Her mouth began watering as the smell overtook her, finally realizing that much like her husband, she was nearly starving after their day. Slipping her hands from the oven mitts and placing them on the counter next to her, she reached for a package of fresh mozzarella cheese and sprinkled it all over the top of her concoction before returning it to the oven in order for the cheese to melt properly.

The nurse gingerly closed the heavy stainless steel door to their oven and spun around, jumping just slightly as she never noticed that Derek had appeared in the doorway to the kitchen again. She immediately rolled her eyes at him once more, noting his fake-anguished expression and that more notably, he was trying not to laugh as he "acted".

"It'll be ready in a few minutes – I'm so nervous!" he said quietly, to which she laughed out loud.

"Do you remember," Angie started, walking to her husband and poking him in the chest gently with her pointer finger, "how earlier today we were talking about building up a tolerance to Tyler?"

"Yes…" Derek replied, confused.

"And you said the stages were always being horrified, being shocked but not angry, laughing and then joining him in his stupidity?"

Derek nodded, just as his wife smiled.

"Honey – you're officially there."

Derek scowled for a minute and then laughed.

"You know, it's all due to influence. Which, sorry, but that just means you're next."

"Like I'll ever let that happen."

A brief silence passed between the two as they both laughed at their perceived ridiculousness of the other person.

"For real though, Angie – don't you remember that research that came out awhile ago about pregnancy tests and testicular cancer? There was a man who was joking around with his wife and took a pregnancy test and when it came out positive, they discovered not long after that he was in the early stages. I know they were beginning some studies on it, but I kind of forgot about it until just now… I should probably look that up."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that, too." She recalled, thinking it over for a moment before digressing.

"Whatever the case, I still can't believe you took a pregnancy test, especially because I'VE never even taken one!"

Derek laughed. "So join me! There's another one in the box, you know."

Angie rolled her eyes for what seemed like the millionth time that day, walking forward and trying to pass her husband who now blocked the doorway.

"Uh, excuse me, please! I have to go to the bathroom before this lasagna is done!"

Derek smiled back at her. "Aha, so you ARE going to check! Have I got you worried, now?"

Angie huffed. "Listen – if I bothered wasting time and a perfectly good pregnancy test, there's a better chance that I'd have testicular cancer than a baby inside of me. We both know I'm not pregnant, I've been on the pill for years! And you KNOW how anal I am about taking that thing on time."

"Oh, I don't know" Derek chided with a shrug and another broad smile. "There was that time that you were like, a half hour late with it…"

"Ugh, move it!" she said with a laugh and a shove at his sarcasm, knocking him out of her way and charging off to the bathroom.

Closing the door behind her, Angie shook her head with a laugh as she noticed Derek's pregnancy test on the counter, resting on a small piece of tissue.

"What an idiot…" she muttered under her breath, reaching to untie her sweatpants before her attention was pulled away.

A second, unused pregnancy test sat in the box on the counter next to the used one, and as Angie stood there, she realized that for whatever reason, it made her curious. A quick, inexpensive medical test in the privacy of her own home – especially one that would help give a quick "I told you so" to her darling husband – was pretty tempting.

Reaching forward and pulling it from the box, she quietly unwrapped it to prevent Derek from hearing her, and sighed as she sat down on the toilet.

"_He's right – what a terrible freakin' influence._"

-o-

Angie emerged from the bathroom and moved to return to the kitchen, smiling as Derek popped his head out from around the corner.

"You did it, didn't you?"

Angie giggled. "Unfortunately, yes, you were able to convince me to join you in wasting a perfectly good box of pregnancy tests. We should've saved those, if we're actually going to start trying!"

Derek sighed, slipping his hands into his pockets. "It was all in good fun, Angie – we won't have to worry about that for a few months anyway, and I would be more than happy to buy you pregnancy tests in bulk when it's finally that time."

"I will make sure to remember you said that when I'm neurotically taking tests twice a day!" she exclaimed with a quick kiss to his lips, continuing to talk before he could protest. "Now, are you hungry?"

"Ugh, YESSS." He groaned, melodramatic as always when he was deprived of food. Angie just giggled in return, slipping an oven mitt on her right hand as he retreated from the room. She reached for the handle of a boiling pot on the stove and carried it to the sink where she poured freshly cut green beans into a strainer to rid them of excess water. Tossing the now empty pot in the other side of the sink, she turned her attention back to the oven, opening the heavy door where a perfectly cooked lasagna came into view.

"So, Derek..." Angie started with a laugh as she removed dinner from the oven and placed it atop the stove to cool, "...how do you think you will take to being pregnant? Should I start buying you ice cream now to prepare?"

After a few moments with no response, Angie turned around to see her husband propped up in the doorway of the kitchen. A bright smile adorned his lips as he chuckled along with her, though he said nothing in return.

Angie's expression changed to interested as he said nothing, biting his lower lip while continuing to smile.

"Oh, I shouldn't jump to conclusions, how rude of me!" she exclaimed, returning her attention to the lasagna as she began squaring off portions for her and her husband. "What does it say, Derek - are you with child?"

She giggled at the question and he chuckled back. He was right – she rarely joined him in being ridiculous, but it was sort of fun sometimes to let go and just enjoy being playful with the man she loved.

"No, I'm not pregnant..." He replied slowly and softly, sudden warmth to his voice that she could feel from across the room.

"...but you are."

Angie laughed out loud, not even bothering to dignify the joke by turning around to face him as she continued cutting.

"Oh geez, Derek – there's joking around together, and then there's taking it too far! That one is NOT funny!"

"Angie."

The sudden and uncharacteristic force with which Derek spoke her name stopped Angie dead in her tracks, recognizing the tone as the one he only used when he really needed her undivided attention. Focus now quickly pulled from the task in front of her, the knife fell from her hand and clattered against the stove as his words sank in. Confused, she slowly turned around, noting that in that time, he had wound his left arm from around his back and was now presenting her with the evidence to back up his claim.

She only saw it from her peripheral vision, however, as her eyes were stuck on the floor. Taking in a deep breath and holding it, she slowly brought her gaze upward until it met the pregnancy test Derek was holding in his hand.

Frozen for a moment, Angie finally let the breath out that she had been holding, hands fumbling gently with one another in front of her stomach as she took a slow step towards her husband. That step was followed by another and then two more, now standing directly in front of him.

Derek's eyes never left his wife as she closed the distance between them, a small smirk on his face as he watched her with concern. She reached up and gingerly took the test from his hand, holding it in both of hers as she examined it with her own eyes.

He wasn't joking in the least.

It really was positive.

"Um…"

It was the only thing Angie could think to say, eyes boring into the tiny pink plus sign in front of her as she desperately tried to make sense of what was happening. As shocked as she ever remembered being, she finally brought her eyes up to her husband, who was still watching her like a hawk, waiting for any reaction whatsoever.

She noted his sweet, loving smile and felt encouragement immediately wash over her. Looking back down at it again, she smiled once softly and then with her head down, picked only her eyes up to meet his with a slightly accusatory stare.

"This isn't yours, is it?"

Derek chuckled softly. "No, Angie – it's definitely yours. Mine's positive too, but I figured we could talk about that later…"

She glared at him, now suddenly unamused by the running joke they had been keeping all night.

"Uh, sorry – I'm kidding. It's definitely yours, though."

He smiled brightly, hands reaching up and settling themselves on her hips as he bent down just slightly and put her at eye level with him.

"Angie, honey – we're going to have a _baby_."

Though still shocked, a smile slowly worked its way onto her lips, her eyes locked with Derek's again. She could tell he was genuinely excited, a loving sparkle behind his brown eyes that was stronger than she had ever seen before. Feeling her smile grow as she looked on at him, her arms wound around his back and squeezed him tightly as he returned the action. A small kiss to the side of her head only made Angie's smile grow in size, before it suddenly dropped off her face completely and she stepped back from him.

"Angie, what's wrong?" he asked her with visible concern as she flew back into the dining room and grabbed her purse. Nearly ripping her car keys from it, she threw them at Derek who was barely able to catch them before they hit him.

"We're going to the store – neurotic test taking starts now!" she exclaimed, throwing open the fridge and yanking a large bottle of water from it. She unscrewed the cap quickly and started to chug as much as she could, her husband just laughing at her in response as he walked to the door to find his shoes.

"What?!" she just retaliated after noticing him laughing at her. "I'm going to have to produce a lot of urine tonight, so I had better get started!"

"Well then, I better drive so you can work on that!" he smiled, holding the door open for her as the both of them exited.

-o-

Two empty plates of lasagna, three massive bottles of water and six different brands of pregnancy tests later, Angie and Derek sat on the couch together under a large blanket and surveyed the souvenirs of their night together.

The coffee table was littered with plastic tests, all resting on a paper towel and perfectly aligned in a row. They all differed in appearance, though they did have one thing in common…

"Well…" Derek started, his arm around his wife's shoulders as he gave her a gentle squeeze. "…you're definitely pregnant."

Angie bit her thumbnail and nodded softly. "It looks that way, doesn't it?"

She sat forward, arms crossed in front of herself as she bent over to get a better look for what seemed like the millionth time.

"I just don't understand how. I seriously only missed one pill, and I made it up so quickly… are we that unlucky?"

Derek smiled. "I wouldn't say unlucky – I would say that someone had a plan for us before we even knew what we wanted…" he finished, pointing toward the ceiling to which Angie smiled.

"It must be – I mean, in what other circumstance would we randomly be taking pregnancy tests?"

Derek nodded. "Yeah, that is creepily coincidental…"

He paused, looking back over at her.

"Angie, are you – okay? Are you alright with this?"

She turned her attention back to him, sweet smile as she reached her hands up and held onto his cheeks softly.

"I'm excited – still stunned, but excited" she explained. "But I know everything will be okay, because it's you and me: and as long as it's you and me, that also means our baby is going to be pretty friggin awesome."

"Heck yeah it will!" he exclaimed with a bright smile, leaning in for a kiss to which she happily obliged.

Winding his arm back around her, Derek and Angie rested back against the couch together, snuggled tightly with one another under a fluffy blanket.

"We've got to think of a fun way to tell everyone at work – especially Tyler…" Angie said softly, giggling as she finished the sentence. "…you know, if there's a Tyler left to tell after today."

Derek started to laugh, thoughts skipping back to watching his best friend almost get murdered in their very office.

"Speaking of which," she continued, "more importantly, we have to go back tomorrow and see what he got everyone else!"

Derek chuckled. "The only other gift I know of is the giant bear he got Sidney – it was in his office when I went in there earlier today. You press its paw and it starts singing a love song… which would be fine, except it was Tyler who had recorded himself on it, and he's as tone deaf as they come."

Angie joined Derek in laughter, snuggling her face back into his chest as they both settled down for the night.

"I love you, Ang."

"I love you too, Derek. Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day – one year I promise we'll be able to have a boring one of these, okay?"

Angie smiled at the mention, noting that this day was becoming notorious for throwing them some major curveballs. A night that they thought would be boring and less exciting than the previous years had surprised them yet again, an unexpected turn to the evening that signified only one thing for the pair.

Valentine's Day for Derek and Angie would ALWAYS be eventful…

…whether they liked it or not.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Happy early Valentine's Day - let me know what you thought!**


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